Weird direct mail

Two odd bits of target mail from charities and estate agents this week.

The first was from estate agent Harts (who used to have the excellent marketing slogan: “Harts is where your home is”). It’s a postcard. The picture on the front is the kitchen of of one of my neighbours. They appear to have mailed it to everyone in my street. We’ve just let one house like yours, we can let yours too, is the message.

The second is from British Red Cross. It’s a bumper thick envelope, and can’t have been cheap to mail. It’s unaddressed. It contains two blank notelet cards with flowers on, and a matching bookmark. Added to that is a letter asking for money, and a reply envelope that asks you to cross out the freepost line if you can afford a stamp. The letter says that a pen is included, but it wasn’t in mine.

No sign of whether it’s targetted, but I can’t say I’m a big user of notelets, let alone flowery ones. And it does seem a little passive-aggressive – “Well – you have the notelets now, you might as well make a donation!” And it must cost a fortune! Stephen Tall (who should know) tells us that charities have to invest to raise money, but still…